YELLOW SPLIT PEA SOUP

My favorite midweek winter meal is soup and. When I planned this week's menu, I knew I would have more than half the package of hot dogs left over after our meal of Michigan hot dogs, so I planned an old favorite--yellow split pea soup with hot dogs. I've made this soup over the years with hot dogs, turkey kielbasa, knockworst, and just carrots and celery. We prefer it with hot dogs.

The soup goes together in a few minutes and cooks unattended for several hours. Because I was already using the crockpot to whip up a batch of my copycat Cracker Barrel fried apples, I made the soup "longhand."

6 servings (1 1/2 cup servings) - 7 ww pts per serving
1 (1lb) package dried yellow split peas
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 chicken boullion cubes
6 cups water
2 bay leaves, each split in two
salt and pepper to taste
6 light hot dogs (try the Boar's head or the Hebrew National)

Use either the overnight method of soaking beans or the quick method (boil for 2 minutes, let sit for an hour, then rinse and drain).

Place the yellow split peas, onion, carrot, celery, boullion cubes and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Correct the seasoning, then cook until the peas are completely tender (another 1 1/2 - 2 hours). Be sure to remove the bay leaves. Slice each hot dog into eight pieces, add to the soup, and heat on low another 5 minutes to cook the hot dogs.

Serve with your favorite sammie or bread.
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TASTE NOTES
If you've never had yellow split pea soup, you're in for a treat. It bears no resemblance to green split pea soup, but is delicious in its own right. I prefer the more subtle flavor imparted by the bay leaf, but have seen recipes that call for curry or for mace. Yellow split peas are commonly used to make dhal in Guyana and Trinidad, though they should not be confused with Indian toor dal (split pigeon peas). The soup will continue to thicken and can be reheated with the addition of broth or water. We enjoyed our soup with some cheesy garlic bread. It was a perfect cold weather meal.